A new message board?

[Guest valueInv]

3) From now until eternity, valueInv is our lovable troll. And like my cranky grandpa, he helps break up the monotony

 

Man, if you start calling me "lovable" I'll lose my street cred.  ;D

[merkhet]

I reckon I'm probably just in a crotchety old man mood today, but I feel like a lot of the complaints that people have levied at the site is that sometimes there are threads that get long, and you have to read through the WHOLE DARN THING to get information.

 

Cry me a river. It's like asking for Spark Notes for the 10-K. Tough shit. Read the whole damn thread.

 

You want to get caught up with a company that has a 100+ page thread? Read page 1. Then read the page right after it until there are no more pages left. There are greater tragedies in life than having to spend a couple hours reading what a bunch of pretty bright people have written...

 

(It's also possible that in my befuddlement I'm confusing this with something that was posted on the Sears thread about there being too much to read...)

 

I stand by my previous comment. It ain't broke.

 

Dang it merket! I said the same thing and you didn't even read through the posts to find it! ;-)

 

Good artists copy. Great artists steal outright! :)

[alertmeipp]

guys, this site is more than fine, please dont make this thing more complicated than it should. The kiss principle applies here

 

Little improvement over time is fine, dont do a yahoo here. Please.

 

 

[one-foot-hurdles]

I'd love a board where people don't post things constantly like "[insert favorite stock] is down 1.3% today?  WHAT IS GOING ON?!!!!"  Or, "[insert other favorite stock] just keeps going down.  Day after day.  That's all it does is go down.  It's down 1.45% while [insert name of competitor] is up 0.9%.  WHAT IS GOING ON?!!!!"

 

If it ain't broke...

 

Maybe just to add some color... My worry with "fixing" this site is the better looking and more usable it becomes, the more it will start to become like the Yahoo Finance message boards, which if you haven't seen them, are honestly barely a step up from youtube comments. The quality of the conversation and the people in this community is incredible, and I'd hate to pollute it with lower quality people, which I suspect would happen if it were "fixed".

 

This is my greatest concern

[Grenville]

I forgot to add that I like the site the way it is and the way Sanjeev has thoughtfully implemented changes/updates.

[yadayada]

I think paying 20$ is really great. That keeps out the trolls really well. I barely see heated discussions between people who dont have a clue what they are talking about. Everything stays civil and there seems to be a high % of very educated people on this board. Maybe with inflation in a few years, it needs to be upped to 30$ tho :) .

 

I supose one thing to make it better could be the people who open a thread adding the best posts in the OP. So when you got a question you can simply read the OP.

[jeffmori7]

valueInv, of course everyone should be able to point out some ameliorations they would like to see. As often with you, it is not what you say, it is how you say it. Maybe you should just sometimes take the time to tell yourself before writing something : What if I was in front of one of them, instead of a anonymous message board? Would I act like this with them, or would I argue with them without being so arrogant and self-important?

 

And by the way, I appreciate some of your contributions, and don't want you to go, just to change your attitude toward everyone, that we agree with you or not!

 

 

As for this board, I think this is quite ironic that one solution is to use Google (so shitty business according to valueInv) to search among the various threads!

 

And keep on the good work Sanjeev! For me, maybe the biggest improvement could be to organize some threads hierarchically, but I won't stop reading the board just because it is not!

[cwericb]

My two cents:

 

1) This board is not 100% perfect

 

2) Of the 1800+ members there’s probably 900 different ideas of the perfect board.

 

3) Everyone has the right to form a new board. But form a new board and then find how many more think they could do a better job.

 

4) Once you have more than one board the community becomes fragmented and diminishes the value of both boards.  Who has the time to follow several different boards?

 

Could the board use improvements? I’m sure it could. But this is a work in progress that has evolved over the past dozen years.

 

For those who want to create a new board I have three questions.

1) How many hours a week do you anticipate personally monitoring your board?

2) How many years would you commit to managing and improving your board?

3) How much of your own money would you devote to building and maintaining it?

 

For those who are unhappy with this board you could try www.stockhouse.com

 

Perhaps this thread should have startedthis way, "Is there some way we could volunteer to help Sanjeev improve this board."

[bookie71]

Cry me a river. It's like asking for Spark Notes for the 10-K. Tough shit. Read the whole damn thread.

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At one time I thought an "ignore thread" would be great as some of the topics aren't of interest, BUT I catch myself going back and reading them later and learning about areas that I was ignorant of.

 

[oddballstocks]

Something new isn't always better.  Reading this thread has me thinking of an analogy.  This board reminds me of a startup who's located in tight quarters.  There's a real team atmosphere even with the close quarters.  From that a great culture develops.  Once the company moves to spacey digs in a better part of town a lot of that culture is lost, not intentionally, it just is.

 

So what if the forum software isn't perfect, why change what's working so well?  There's a great culture and great set of people here.

 

This is the only message board I've ever participated in that is/was so compelling I'm getting into my car and driving to Toronto in April to meet other members.  When people are willing to travel across the country to meet up I'd say something is working well.

 

I think you could probably rent out a ballroom in Manhattan Kansas and you'd still get a solid turnout.

[hyten1]

COBFF is one of my favorite boards, but honestly this thread has been very disappointing.

 

not because many people are satisfy with what we have (I get that, if it isn't broke don't fix it) there is nothing wrong with that. it isn't broke don't fix it, i get it (I have to repeat this more than once so i don't offend anyone)

 

its the attitude/response of the post

 

i think part of it is due to my original post that wasn't very clear (i am trying to see if there are any improvements to the "TOOL" that people wanted that would ENHANCE the discussion), my bad.

 

i hope people can separate between the "people/posts" vs "tool used"

 

- why do people think improving the tool will destroy the culture (i don't get that)? there is a chance, the argument can be say for the opposite (maybe without improving it we are hurting it)

- something new isn't always better, TRUE, but sometime it is.

- I don't understand, spacey digs equates to improvement of the tool? (i have been/seen/participate in many startups and understand money/spacey digs don't solve everything)

- again i  have to point out, this is about improving the tool  (assuming it can be done, that is why there is an discussion)

- i don't get the comment about spark notes vs 10k as well. possibly a better way to organize/search/discuss our thoughts is consider spark notes? it is consider lazy? (some can argue, its lazy to stick with the status quo, and not constantly improving, but that is another discussion all together)

 

this remind of the quote (i can't recall the exact words) "if you are not moving forward you are moving backwards" (don't want to imply folks are not moving foward, for all i know everyone is moving forward all the time, its just a quote)

 

the community has spoken.

 

hy

 

EDIT: I hope this thread hasn't offended anyone, that was not the original intention.

 

[adesigar]

I don't have much to add to this discussion except. I tried to search a single thread (the SHLD one) with mixed results so what worked for me was. In google I use the following in the search field.

 

<Words/Phrase searching for> <Thread Title> site:www.cornerofberkshireandfairfax.ca

 

eg : "guarantor/non-guarantor structure" "SHLD-Sears" site:www.cornerofberkshireandfairfax.ca

 

Limitations are

1. I don't think Google indexes COB&F often so latest posts don't come up but then again i am searching for older posts anyways.

2. Sometimes there will be a link to the thread you are searching for in a different thread that has the same Word Phrase but that's very very rare.

 

Hope it helps people searching individual threads.

 

 

[Parsad]

COBFF is one of my favorite boards, but honestly this thread has been very disappointing.

 

not because many people are satisfy with what we have (I get that, if it isn't broke don't fix it) there is nothing wrong with that. it isn't broke don't fix it, i get it (I have to repeat this more than once so i don't offend anyone)

 

its the attitude/response of the post

 

i think part of it is due to my original post that wasn't very clear (i am trying to see if there are any improvements to the "TOOL" that people wanted that would ENHANCE the discussion), my bad.

 

Well, I think you may have hit the nail on the head Hyten.  The original post was the equivalent of me inviting you all to dinner at my place, but you decide that the food isn't quite up to par and ask who wants to go eat somewhere else.  The point of dinner was the camaraderie, networking, conversation and sharing of ideas...not the food or if the wine was ok.  The approach of "how can we improve the food and wine here" would have been the way to go. 

 

Incidentally, Berkshire's website and Leucadia's website are the model of inefficiency, yet it has zero effect on the actual utility of their site...why?  Because it's about the content.  I would also say that EDGAR and SEDAR could be improved immensely, yet they still work fine.  Functionality is only useful if the content remains useful.  Cheers! 

[Palantir]

I actually like the simple outlay of this website, I think the search function could be improved, but I would urge changes to be at a minimum.

 

For threads like SHLD, perhaps somebody can write a "summary post" in the original post that summarizes the various bull and bear arguments. This is only for the very long threads though.

[shalab]

This site does its job - thank you Sanjeev for hosting it! MMM ( money mustache at http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/ ) also uses the same forum.

 

Looks like the infrastructure for the site is maintained by simple machines ( http://www.simplemachines.org/ ) and looks like it is a non profit.

 

I also think valueinv adds value.

 

That said, moderating this site is a time sync - especially of a high caliber money manager like Sanjeev.

 

cheers!

[hyten1]

parsad, i hear ya, i understand where you are coming from

 

but i have to disagree slightly with your analogy (i understand analogy is not always perfect and its not easy to come up with one sometimes). i understand COBFF is one of your babies and i respect that and i, like many folks here have said, we are very grateful and happy that COBFF exist, and its due partly to your YEARS of dedication.

 

however

 

COBFF is not quite like a private dinner. A private dinner board would be one that is totally close off (not anyone can just sign up). COBFF is after all a public forum (public is not 100% accurate) ANYONE can sign up, but i understand you have the right/power to decide who then gets kick off etc. Also part of what made COBFF what it is today are those folks who post/discuss on this site. To use your analogy of the dinner, your guests help you prepare the dinner in some SMALL way.

 

also i don't believe its the food that i am trying or see if it can be improve (that would be the quality of the post) its the way maybe how we share the food and get to the food (maybe the food is put way up on the bookshelf, or maybe the food is spread out all over the house, we guests have to go around into every room to pick up bits and pieces to form a complete  dish). maybe that is part of the fun :)

 

i do agree the OP is at fault, it wasn't clear and the approach wasn't the best.

 

in regards to the BRK website, i have to disagree again with that analogy :)  the main function of BRK is investing/investments now if the website hinder or prevent BRK from doing that than i believe it would need improvement.

 

i also don't agree with if it works we should leave it alone (see my previous iphone analogy). but i understand where that is coming from and i do agree with the idea of effort vs reward. maybe folks don't agree the effort will be compensated with appropriate reward in regards to improving the discussion.

 

Content is the most important here i agree, but how we get to that content is also important (think netflix vs dvd etc.)

 

ok i am going to stop now, the community are satisfy with what is available, MY BAD with the OP

 

maybe i should start another thread, but this time i will call it "how/if can we help parsad improve COBFF's message board system?"

 

hy

 

COBFF is one of my favorite boards, but honestly this thread has been very disappointing.

 

not because many people are satisfy with what we have (I get that, if it isn't broke don't fix it) there is nothing wrong with that. it isn't broke don't fix it, i get it (I have to repeat this more than once so i don't offend anyone)

 

its the attitude/response of the post

 

i think part of it is due to my original post that wasn't very clear (i am trying to see if there are any improvements to the "TOOL" that people wanted that would ENHANCE the discussion), my bad.

 

Well, I think you may have hit the nail on the head Hyten.  The original post was the equivalent of me inviting you all to dinner at my place, but you decide that the food isn't quite up to par and ask who wants to go eat somewhere else.  The point of dinner was the camaraderie, networking, conversation and sharing of ideas...not the food or if the wine was ok.  The approach of "how can we improve the food and wine here" would have been the way to go. 

 

Incidentally, Berkshire's website and Leucadia's website are the model of inefficiency, yet it has zero effect on the actual utility of their site...why?  Because it's about the content.  I would also say that EDGAR and SEDAR could be improved immensely, yet they still work fine.  Functionality is only useful if the content remains useful.  Cheers!

[cwericb]

Hayten, this board would be pretty boring and really, it wouldn't be of much use if we all agreed on everything. :)

[Guest Dazel]

 

Sanjeev,

 

The board is the very best value on the planet! For those that want to see and learn from it....all the ideas and information

are there for the taking. I am however, looking for a new "surf board"  for the beach I am on right now! any ideas?

 

Dazel

[ERICOPOLY]

I am however, looking for a new "surf board"  for the beach I am on right now! any ideas?

 

Dazel

 

I bought a 'Gnaraloo Fatty' several months ago.  Nice and stable for beginners.

 

http://www.surfindustries.com/surfboards/gnaraloo_fatty.php

 

I am blessed in that I live less than a mile from Hammonds Beach.

 

[LC]

Enjoy it Eric...surfing is awesome. My fiancee and I have given up on vacationing, we're in love with Costa Rica and go to explore and surf as much as possible. If you fall in love and want to vacation, check out playa guillones/nosara.

[longtermdave]

 

i hope people can separate between the "people/posts" vs "tool used"

 

 

Is that separation really appropriate? I think it's underappreciated how tools and the way they're used influence our psychology and behavior. Many people here seem to sense this, and I suspect it's the source of the "don't fix what's broke" responses. If the influences are subconscious, how can you be sure some changes won't be damaging?

[hyten1]

longtermdave, i hear ya

 

i guess everything in life we should just leave it as is, since we will never know if "changes can be damaging" it could be or it could make it better. i do agree with the idea of effort vs reward. maybe folks don't agree the effort will be compensated with appropriate reward in regards to improving the discussion.

 

not sure why its not appropriate to separate the tool and the people/post.

 

paper/pencil vs calculator vs ms excel vs computer ... hmm these are all tools

 

i thinkgs folks are just trying to improve things, I understand the OP is not great, i'll said it again, my OP wasn't worded correctly.

 

the msg board system from www.simplemachines.org is not the holy grail of message board system. UNLESS you believe the combination of ww.simplemachines.org + parsad + the folks here are the best that can be done (even if its the best that can be done now, it doesn't mean you can't improve it, i understand effort vs reward), in that case there isn't much else i can say. Also just a reminder, COBFF use to be on MSN message board system, the discussion was pretty lively back then as well (I understand this is both a for and against the argument of change)

 

hy

 

 

i hope people can separate between the "people/posts" vs "tool used"

 

 

Is that separation really appropriate? I think it's underappreciated how tools and the way they're used influence our psychology and behavior. Many people here seem to sense this, and I suspect it's the source of the "don't fix what's broke" responses. If the influences are subconscious, how can you be sure some changes won't be damaging?

[CorpRaider]

I move that this site be renamed to the "Corner of Sears Holdings, Berkshire and Fairfax."

[cubsfan]

I move that this site be renamed to the "Corner of Sears Holdings, Berkshire and Fairfax."

 

 

  Love it!

[rkbabang]

I move that this site be renamed to the "Corner of Sears Holdings, Berkshire and Fairfax."

  Love it!

 

This just became a much more dangerous intersection.  You'll see me on Berkshire and Fairfax, but as far as Sears Holdings, I intend to stay far away from that part of town.